#TipsforGuardians

Its getting to that time of year where we all pop on an extra layer and think about how to make our rooms as cosy as possible. So below we have some hints and tips on how to do this in your Guardian Unit.

Lovely lighting

Not wanting to break any guidelines, here are some ideas on how to make your room cosy using battery powered lighting.

No flame candles: these come in a range of styles and sizes and can even flicker, giving off a very realistic glow. You can buy these online or even in your local pound shop.

Battery powered fairy lights: fairy lights are for life, not just for Christmas!

Great for lighting up a corner or a wall, wrap them around mirrors to reflect the light back into the room, or even pop them in a vase to create a lovely light feature. These can be found for a bargain at Wilko’s, Ikea or online.

Plants

Real or artificial, bring some colour into your room with small succulents or cacti – these require very little care and can brighten up a windowsill or desk in no time.

Keeping cosy

 

It can be tempting to put the heating on up to full blast the second the first chill arrives, but jumping straight for the thermostat is not always the answer, especially if we want to protect the polar ice caps and reduce global warming.

Having the heating on at a lower degree will help, but what about adding some layers? The great thing about this time of year is we don’t need an excuse to wear fluffy socks and woolly jumpers! Basically, invest in a cosy top layer to snuggle down in!

Getting decorative

 

Hanging string from one point to another is the perfect way to display photographs or flyers without using bluetac or pins.

Grab yourself a length of string, your chosen pictures and some pegs and tie each end of the string to two stable objects, peg your pictures on and you’re away!

Found a wallpaper sample, wrapping paper or poster you like? Collect photograph frames from charity shops and car boot sales and fill the frames with the paper, go as big or as small as you like. Dot the frames around the room or lean large frames up against a wall, bringing colour and creativity to your room.

Furniture

If you’re looking to get your hands on some cheap furniture, look no further than your local British Heart Foundation! They have 170 Furniture and Electrical shops across the UK that sell sofas, wardrobes, bookshelves and an array of other items for low prices. They even have an ebay store so you can shop from the comfort of your (cosy!) room with the added benefit that you’ve helped in the fight against cardiovascular disease.

Finally, why not get crafty!

 

As it’s a bit colder, now is a great time to take the opportunity to get creative! Why not start off by making your own draught excluder?

These instructions from The Guardian calls for a sewing machine. If you’re not equipped with one, you can always sew two sleeves of an old jumper together and tack the end by hand, or use WonderWeb or equivalent. There are lots of great instructions online and you can decorate your excluder with all sorts of great designs.

We have lots more hints and tips on our Pinterest board.

If you have a go at any of our hints and tips, why not tweet or send us a picture on Facebook? Don’t forget to share your own tips on our Guardian Twitter feed using the #TipsforGuardians.